Levin et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,341 discloses a broad concept for removing ice from the leading edge of an airplane wing by applying electrical pulses to a transducer. This converts the electrical pulses to mechanical power pulses which act on the surface to be deiced.
Wooden et al U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,283,461 and 4,297,394 disclose the use of a multilayer piezoelectric transducer which vibrates in response to the application of an alternating current. This vibration prevents the attachment of vegetable and animal life to a ship's plate.